Forgeborn
Summary Birthed from the God-Wars, the Forge-born were a product of grief. Cursed by vengeful Elves the dwarves watched their sons die by their own magicked weapons. The greatest dwarven artificers took their grief and made new sons... stronger sons. And the Forgeborn were strong. They fought and many died in the Alvar Retributions. They come from the home Forges of Toemb. They have a phylactery containing the mortal remains of the dwarf they were to replace--their weak spot. The Forgeborn feature heavy armor, and slow movement. They shine in melee combat. However it is tough, if not impossible, to find a mount to carry them. Those with "Innate" gifts (i.e. magic), would be even more ritualistic/OCD than the average Forge-born... and that's a lot. DMs could have a field day stating the player needed to pray immediately. Two rounds of damage later, the Forge-born feels at peace, refreshed, ready to fight... while his infuriated adventurer friends look on midst-battle. Most Forge-Born are free, living in small groups in abandoned dwarven mines or quarries. Some have taken to gathering kobolds or gobli as their servants--they viewing the Forgeborn as gods. "The One, He eat the coal and shat the fire! Praise be the One..." --Pustuul the Gobli Forgeborn fall into two general categories: Bound and Wandering. *Bound forgeborn have their phylacteries hidden outside of their bodies. They cannot travel more than a day's march from its location. Bound Forgeborn are exceedingly hard to "kill" since one is not truly dead until the phylactery is destroyed. *Wandering Forgeborn have the phylactery in their forms. Consequently, they can move freely about, but are more vulnerable. *Rarely, a Forgeborn is "thralled." A more powerful being has found their phylactery, using it to control the Forgeborn bound to it. Forgeborn also can have several siblings: brothers and sisters who have phylacteries of the same dead dwarf. Working in concert, these Forgeborn brothers make exceedingly deadly fighting forces. In melee they share minor telepathy, and can form battle lines and phalanxes of such tight coordination, they are all but unbreakable. "We had to drop the whole castle on them. For all I know, they're still fighting underneath it." --Ser Maximillan Hynd, Midian Warmage Sustenance Forgeborn eat earth and ores. They prefer to consume flammable materials, like tars, oils, coal, even peat. No Forgeborn ever starves. But without fuel (including the air to burn it), a Forgeborn can become so immobilized that they can't even eat to recover. Hence some Forgeborn eat all the time, "stoking the fires." This can be problematic in that Forgeborn do give off heat, and sometimes smoke. Other Forgeborn go for months without eating, then have to gorge themselves, heating up so much as to glow, or giving off so much smoke as to be visible for miles. There are tales of "thralled" Forgeborn being used as smelters, processing raw ore in order to get at precious metals like gold. *Forgeborn need both ore and fuels to stay functional--their bread and meat. *The odd ducks really enjoy the taste of charcoal. A few have been known to light a forest fire to get it fresh(to the horror of any elves around). *Oil (whale, ground, even sufficiently refined plant oil) is addictive to a Forgeborn. There are anecdotal tales about Forgeborn alcoholics, destroying entire villages in search of cooking oil. *Some metals are extremely addictive to Forgeborn, like mercury. Size and Appearance *95% of Forgeborn are dwarven-sized, with dwarven features, appearing as made of stone or clay with metal bands with runes and intricate gearing. While Forgeborn can fight and run like men, they do not have the same range of motion or flexibility. They can't use bows or slings. *4% of Forgeborn are found in alternate sizes or forms. Still dwarven in thought and memory, these Forgeborn often have mental issues relating to the discomfort they have with their shape. *And, most rare of all, there are Forgeborn whose phylacteries are Not dwarven, but someone else. Some of these Forgeborn were made as a tribute to a fallen Dwarffriend. Others were made in vengeance. It is said the dwarves captured an elven Firemage, killed him, and after burying his remains in a phylactery in a cave filled with charcoal ash, then "Forged" him in a body of petrified wood. They gave this Forgeborn no eyes, but a keen sense of smell. Now bound in tree-turned-to-stone, the cursed elf wanders in an eternity of torment, smelling the ashes of his home forest, but unable to find his body to die. Dwarven Forgeborn have also suffered terrible fates as well. There is a valley in the deserts of Theamyr called Wailing Stones. And truly, among the rubble the stones wail incoherently in an ancient tongue no longer spoken. This is the remains of the Federata Legion, 10,000 Bound Forgeborn placed as a blocking element to protect the dwarven homelands. Quite literally smashed to pieces, the stones cry out for death. No one knows precisely where the 10,000 phylacteries are. But they are nearby, each gilt in gold and precious stones... a staggering treasure for anyone who could find it. Nations, States, and Communities *When first cast, the Forgeborn were purely military legions: Ordes and Kahruul, or hordes and guards, each numbering 10,000. *Ordes legions were made with internal phylacteries. The Ordes were mobile units, sent to strike back against the dwarves' foes. They are found primarily on Leviatha and Theamyr, with individual Ordes appearing on Pintara and Astaadyr. *Kahruul legions' phylacteries were stored in dwarven citadels and caves. These were blocking units, emplaced in key passes to defend the dwarven homelands. Most remain on Theamyr, near the Forge of Toemb According to legend, the dwarves put forward 200,000 Forgeborn to fight the armies of the Undying. The names of some of the legions are lost to history, but a few live on; notably: Kahruul Arcam: "Ark Guards" A rare group of Forgeborn who carry the phylacteries in a Golem Marcher. They are thought to march with the Stenen Dwalen; and number only in the low hundreds. Arcam Forgeborn appear to be following a directive to protect all of the dwarven blood. Kahruul Armacastras: "Towns of the Shield Guards" These Forgeborn now live in small encampments close to the border of the Gigantes Glacerae. They trade with the Fenric Clans, metals for whale or seal oil. Kahruul Saxumcastras: "Towns of the Stone Guards" These Forgeborn reside south of the Forge of Toemb in valleys and caverns. Kahruul Federata: Lost; thought destroyed. Kahruul Pedra: These Forgeborn appear to be still obeying an ancient order, holding forts across the northern border of Toemb. Not even dwarves who don't know the Oeldwerd may pass their line. Kahruul Kobold: These Forgeborn Kahruul were separated from the rest of their kin in the last days of the Sundering War. They now live in eastern Leviatha, using kobold and gobli-kin as servants to mine coal. The fellbreeds view them as gods. Orda Rapax: "The Predator Horde" The Rapax no longer number 10,000. There are only a few hundred supposed to be in existence. The majority now operate freely, hiring themselves out as mercenaries or adventurers. Most have dispersed across Leviatha. Orda Tempus: "The Thunder Horde" as well numbers less than a thousand. They too operate freely, usually alone--more rarely in small bands of twenty or less, headed by a lead cleric. Orda Ferrata: "The Iron Horde" has allied themselves to the Aquethaini, and are stationed in the Surathane province. They generally go about their existences in peace, but can be called upon as 2,500 shock troops ready to smash any Goedic-lieged invaders from the south. Races Cultures Category:Dwarves